(Helena) – On Friday, Governor Great Gianforte submitted a request to President Joe Biden for a presidential major disaster declaration due to flooding in Montana in April.
The governor’s request is for the counties of Blaine, Daniels, Hill, Park, Roosevelt, Sheridan, and Valley along with the Fort Peck Tribes.
About his request the governor said: “For the month of March, Montana experienced colder and wetter conditions then usual. By the end of the first week of April, Montana experienced sustained high temperatures, up to 80 degrees in some locations. These warm temperatures quickly melted the low elevation snowpack which led to large volumes of runoff flowing into the Milk River system.”
The governor’s request to President Biden also highlights the known impacts of the disaster on Montana communities. He said “the impacted areas are extremely rural with a small tax base spread out over a large area, which makes recovery from a disaster difficult and expensive for the communities compared to a more urban populated area.”
In May, Governor Gianforte declared a statewide disaster due to flooding.
